elves live in the land       
      beyond the  great dam.      
  it was  built  in  the late sixties.  
      the elves came to us then.    
                      
                      
 they  were  very  manipulative,  and  we 
 came  to trust them.          us 
 kids  would play down  at the water even 
 though we  were not allowed.       
     sometimes the  sluice would  close 
 entirely,  and  the river  at  the  dams 
 foot  would  dry up, revealing the rocky 
 water   garden  that  had   been  hidden 
 beneath, and we  would go there.     
      before  the  dam  opened again, 
 there would be  a  signal, but the elves 
 would make us  not hear it, and suddenly 
 we  would find the water rising, already 
 at our knees.                
                      
   by  then  the elves would be gone.